Our Mission

The Church of the Living God International, Inc. is to fulfill the great commission of Jesus Christ by establishing churches in every community.

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What We Believe

Statements of Fatih & Core Beliefs

Father, Son, Holy Spirit

There is only one living and true God, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

We believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who was with God in the beginning

We believe the Holy Ghost is a gift to the believer, the spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father and His sonJesus.

Scripture: John 1:1-2, 14; I John 1:1-2; I John 5:7; Luke 11:13; John 14:16-17; John 14:26; John 15:26; Acts 1:4-5; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:17-18, 33, 39.

Virgin Birth

We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and that He suffered, was crucified, died and buried, the third day He arose again, He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and His return is imminent in order to judge the quick and dead.

Spiritual Gifts

The vision of The Church of the Living God International, Inc. is to establish churches in every city, state, and country; to build a community of churches in every city that is committed to dynamic true worship and that will cause the power of God to reach the unchurched. We believe that to make an impact on an area with the message of faith and power, it is essential that we strategically place churches in various locations throughout that area.

To effectively achieve this goal, we envision a church membership of a minimum of 75 members to a maximum of 500. When church membership reaches 300 members, steps should be taken to establish a new cell. Within three years, each new cell should become a fully functional thriving church of its own.

The Church of the Living God International, Inc. (CLGI) maintains and supports the public worship of Almighty God in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Scriptures (Matthews 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-20). We ordain those who are divinely called and send them out according to their gifts and calling to teach and preach the gospel (I Timothy 3:1-15, 5:17-21; II Timothy 4:2; Ephesians 4:11-16; Acts 13:1-5). We organize Christian fellowship, regardless of race or national origin, for those who are spreading the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ at home and throughout the world by sending evangelists and missionaries (Matthews 28:19-20). We carry out the two ordinances instituted by Christ and practiced by the apostles and the early church: The Lord’s Supper (Matthews 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22: 14 -20; I Corinthians 11: 20-34) and baptism (Matthews 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-41; Acts 8:12, 36-39; Acts 19:1-5). CLGI supports the work of the church in tithes and offering (Malachi 3:8-10; Hebrews 7:1-10).

We develop, motivate, and train bible study leaders who will initiate and develop the cell for the next church. We actively endeavor “to seek and to save that which is lost” as we were commanded in the words of Jesus Christ. We must go into the hedges and highways to compel men and women to come to Him. By so doing, we will fulfill the great commission that Jesus gave to the disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).

We envision people being filled with the Spirit of God. We believe what apostle Paul said, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philipians 2:11) Through prayer, fasting, and dedication, every worship service shall be filled with the dynamic life changing power of the Holy Spirit and every believer will be filled with the power of God (Acts 2:3-4). We are confident that this will make an impact on the community in which the church is located. Each worship service shall be a place for people to receive healing, deliverance, and nurturing through the teaching and preaching of the Word of God, and the ministry of music and praise.

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The History of CLGI

The Church of the Living God was founded in 1903 by Mother Mary Magdalena Lewis Tate. The ministry given her was one of holiness with emphasis on repentance, sanctification, and baptism in the Holy Spirit; this would result in clean living with one working toward perfection. Mother Tate was a bold preacher who took her message in and through the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois with the message touch people of all races and ethnic backgrounds.

In 1908, Mother Tate formally organized and incorporated the House of God which is the Church of the Living God, Pillar and Ground of the Truth in Greenville, Alabama. The first General Assembly was held June 25-July 5 of the same year. Some walked as many as thirty miles to get there and witness Mother Tate made the Overseer and Chief Leader of the church, preachers ordained, and pastors appointed.

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The Church of the Living God continued to grow and spread throughout many states eventually reaching as far north as Ohio. On October 29, 1923, The House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth Without Controversy, was incorporated in Columbus, Ohio under Bishop George F. Giles, Pastor and State Bishop. He retained these positions until his death on April 1, 1958. Following his death, the assistant pastor Elder H. I. Bosart was appointed pastor.

In 1962, under the direction of then Assistant Pastor, Rev. Beulah M. White, the church obtained a “white” house at 593 Fairwood Avenue, the corner of Fairwood Avenue and Fulton Street. On January 26, 1966, the church mortgage was paid off, making it the first building purchased and owned by our organization in Columbus, Ohio. All previous buildings had been rented. That same year, Elder Bosart turned the responsibility of pastor over to Elder Beulah M. White. Her son Rev. Joseph White was appointed assistant pastor. A few years later, Elder Beulah M. White slept away to be with the Lord. Elder Joseph White was appointed pastor during the State Assembly in 1969.

Under the leadership of Elder Joseph White, the church was renamed The Pool of Bethesda Church of the Living God in 1972; the first new building in the organization was built in Columbus, Ohio at the same location (593 Fairwood Avenue). This building was paid in full within three years. Because the congregation had grown beyond the capacity of the new church, it was necessary to plan for and take action to have a new church built. In June 1977, the church moved into its second new facility it had built at 2600 McCutcheon Road, Columbus, Ohio 43219. Within two years the church outgrew the educational classrooms and increased the size of the facility to almost double its original dimensions.

In 1979, Pastor Joseph White, under the direction of the Lord and with a strong desire to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, began an expansion program into other cities and neighboring states. A number of churches were started in Columbus, Warren, Urbana, Cleveland and Springfield, Ohio as ministers under his leadership and teaching grew out of the Pool of Bethesda Church of the Living God.

In 1980, Pastor White was appointed to State Bishop over what was eventually called the Great Lakes Diocese. Additional churches were fellowshipped into the organization. The Holy Spirit led Bishop Joseph White to travel abroad which led to fellowshipping in a churches in Germany and starting additional churches in Holland, The United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and Suriname, South America and Africa.

In 1994, the start of a great organization known as The Church of the Living God International, Inc. (CLGI) emerged, founded by Bishop Joseph White. The church organization experienced positive growth from his Christian Education outlines and support of the International Christian Education, Missions, Men’s (Brotherhood), Women’s (Elect Ladies), and Youth and Young Adult Departments. These departments have proven helpful in supporting the spread of the gospel.

The church also has presiding elders: Elder Rodney Phillips, the Arkansas Pre-Jurisdiction; Elder Jeffrey Johnson, the North Carolina Pre-Jurisdiction and Elder Philemeen Rickets is the Presiding and Administrative Elder of the South American Jurisdiction

In 2008, the Jurisdictional Bishops became the Board of Directors as stated under the direction of CLGI’s law firm, Bricker & Eckler. The Ecclesiastical Structure of CLGI is composed of the Board of Directors, the General Council (Elders and Pastors), General Assembly, Jurisdictional Conferences and Local Churches. CLGI is governed by its Constitution and By-Laws and is registered as a non-profit church organization in the State of Ohio. CLGI is found throughout the United States of America and abroad.

Meet our Leadership

We have a growing Board of Directors and Presiding Elders that oversee the jurisdictions in the organization.